My Brown Eyed Girl
by This Girl Maybe
Summary: For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me, Not like it's hurt me before" BuffyFaith
1. My Brown Eyed Girl

Title: My Brown Eyed Girl  
  
Summary: "For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me, Not like it's hurt me before" Buffy/Faith.  
  
A/N: This is my first Buffy fic; I thought it would be Spuffy, but after reading some good Buffy/Faith fiction…well, they're my new shippy favourites! This is set six months after the finale, and I know that Angel et al would be there in LA, but it was on a channel I couldn't get so… *g* I just didn't write them! And Anya's alive…(well, I couldn't leave her dead! What would I do with poor Xander?)  
  
*  
  
The sun rose in the warm morning, the light beaming into Buffy's bedroom on the top floor of the house that she was renting. The place was roomy enough, and Dawn seemed to like it, especially her new school which, happily, didn't have a Hellmouth underneath it.   
  
She slammed her alarm that had woken her with its irritating ringing, and tried to resist the urge to throw it against the wall. She swung her legs out of bed and rested her head in her hands. Her counselling job at the local high school was harder than Sunnydale…and a lot more depressing. But at least she had something good to look forward to when she came home.  
  
Most nights she, Dawn and Faith would watch a B-movie on television crunching on popcorn and joking about the corny lines. Originally after Sunnydale went kaput, Faith had wanted to venture out on her own like many of the other Potentials did, buying apartments together all over the country and returning to their families. But as Xander moved to a suburb with Anya, announcing that they were "having another try at this marriage schtick", Giles working at a local antique bookstore and Willow studying at the college nearby living with Kennedy who worked as a fitness instructor, Faith hadn't wanted to venture that far away.  
  
It had taken her a lot to ask whether she could stick around, Buffy knew that. She'd approached it in her casual way, asking if she wouldn't mind her "tagging along with you and Peanut." Dawn at that time frowned with indignation at the nickname, but Buffy was secretly thrilled that Faith planned to hang around. And six months later, she hadn't made any plans to leave. Buffy hoped that she never would. The three of them had got into their own little routine, still relishing the ability to jump in the shower whenever they liked without five Potentials banging on the door.  
  
Buffy pulled open her curtains, the light flooding her room. She walked over to the door and opened it to see Faith and Dawn perching in the bathroom together as Dawn brushed her hair talking about the latest developments with the attempt to buy the house they were currently renting. "Morning." She announced sleepily and Faith looked over with a affectionate smile that gave Buffy a tingling down her spine. "You two look way too energetic this early in the morning."  
  
Dawn shrugged, "Maybe if you went to bed at a decent time then maybe you'd feel more energetic-ish." She stopped, "Oh my God, I've turned into you…I have to go and make myself a teenager again…" She said leaving the bathroom with a grimace. Faith stood up from the edge of the bath where she had been sitting.  
  
"I shouldn't have stayed up talking with you last night…" She apologised, tucking a strand of her brunette hair behind her shoulder "Kinda forgot you had one of those inconvenient jobs to go to…"  
  
Buffy took a quick look in the mirror and groaned at her reflection and then turned back to Faith, "It wasn't as if I was trying to get out if it." She rationalised and smiled, touching Faith's bare arm. She didn't know why, she just did. It was like an impulse and a shot of warmth flooded through her at the contact. "It was fun…y'know to not always have Dawn buzzing around." Faith smiled, almost self consciously until they heard Dawn shouting.  
  
"Hey!" She yelled indignantly, "I'm not that bad!"  
  
Faith shook her head in amusement, but seemed quite shocked, but pleased by their contact earlier before Buffy's hand shot away from her arm. "What time you having lunch today?" She asked, "I think I can get make time in my busy schedule for you…"  
  
Buffy nodded, "About one?" She suggested and Faith nodded and slowly walked out of the bathroom, almost reluctant to leave Buffy's company. Great, now she wouldn't be able to concentrate until the time came that Faith would stick her gorgeous head round the door of her office armed with a impish grin and two chocolate muffins.  
  
*  
  
Faith wandered around the house, checking her watch every five minutes. It still wasn't time for her to leave for the high school yet to pick Buffy up for their date. Faith stopped in her tracks; she really was becoming loved up with her once arch enemy. She wasn't sure if "loved up" was the right word seeing as though Buffy had no interest in her whatsoever and in Faith's opinion, that would never change as much as she wanted it to. But "loved up" was how she was feeling. Of course, that would change one day. When Buffy brought home some guy she met, and they'd get married and have kids. And all the while Faith would be in the background, wishing that Buffy could see that it was her who really loved the Slayer.  
  
God she was depressing herself.  
  
Faith rubbed her forehead with a tired hand. She felt like such a wimp. Being love struck was for girls who hadn't experienced the things she had. Normal girls fell in love. She didn't. Or maybe she did want to be normal…who knew?  
  
Out of excitement and terminal boredom, she walked over to a table in the corner of the living room, proudly displaying various family photos. There were the regular photos of Hank and Joyce standing together with mini Buffy and Dawn, smiles on their faces, unaware of the traumas to face them. There was one of Anya having a piggyback from Xander, both smiling into the camera happily. Willow and Kennedy made their appearances in a sweet photo of the pair of them at a picnic a few months ago, asleep together after eating too many strawberries.  
  
But one of the framed photos took Faith's eye. It was new, put there in the last few days. Of that she was sure. The frame was intricate, silver roses bleeding silver tears circled the photo. It almost killed her seeing it. It was of she and Buffy, totally unaware of the camera catching the emotions evident on their faces. She couldn't picture the exact time or place, but the style resembled the pictures that Peanut had been taking for some project. They were standing, looking at each other, talking animatedly about something. Buffy had her hands gesturing wildly with a smile on her face. Faith looked at her own figure in the photo, she stood with a wide grin, one of her hands placed on her hip. Her expression was warmer than she'd ever known it to be, and her eyes held all the love in the world for Buffy.   
  
She wondered if anyone could see. Could anyone spot what she felt from the way she would touch her tenderly, the way she'd laugh extra loudly at her jokes, the way that she would lay down her life for her? Could anyone read between the lines and see that she wasn't feeling friendly love…but full-on, world changing love?  
  
It was in that moment, that Faith knew she had it bad. And it wasn't going away soon.  
  
*  
  
Buffy tapped her pencil impatiently on the desk. Her last student before lunch had just left in a far better mood than she'd turned up with, which made Buffy feel extra pleased about her upcoming date with Faith in…she checked the clock on the wall…ten minutes.  
  
Damn, she had to stop calling it a date. It really wasn't. Really, really wasn't. Was it? Faith had seemed suitably coy, and she herself had spent the whole day thinking about Faith whilst trying to concentrate on the kids sitting in front of her.   
  
She'd never thought of herself like that before until Faith reappeared before their confrontation with the First. She just looked so….goddamn good. She was pretty sure she wasn't going to feel like this about the whole female gender, just Faith. She wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing.   
  
She hadn't accepted one date since they'd left Sunnydale and even Willow had started to ask some questions. There hadn't been a lack of suitors as her mom would have called them, but as she sat with a bored smile listening to their inane jokes, none of them were in the same league as Faith…their faces weren't as cute, their bodies weren't as sexy, their attitude not so defiant and they didn't make her knees turn to jelly like one word from *her* did.  
  
Before she could muse on her Faith crush any further, the object of her affection walked through the door wearing low cut jeans and a vintage tee shirt that she recognised as her own. She was soooo going to let Faith keep that; Buffy knew she'd appreciate the shirt more when she saw Faith stretching, showing a toned part of her midriff. Yep, definitely letting her keep that one.  
  
"How ya doing?" She asked in her familiar Boston drawl, "Bored outta your skull yet?"  
  
Buffy smiled, taking a quick glance round the office to make sure no-one else was there to hear her traitorous words, "Yep…" She affirmed, grabbing her bag from underneath the desk and walked towards Faith who was standing at the threshold of the door. "So what do you fancy? Burgers or liquid lunch?"  
  
Faith raised her eyebrows, "Didn't know you were in the habit of getting drunk on the job B…" and Buffy scowled good naturedly.  
  
"Coffee." She corrected her. "Coffee. Which do you fancy?" She asked walking out of the office and Faith followed gaining some appreciative looks from the adolescent boys. Inside she laughed, if only they knew the thoughts she was having about their guidance counsellor. "Faith?" Buffy asked, noticing her friend had drifted off into a daydream.  
  
"Uh, coffee." She affirmed. "I had way too much to eat this morning." She grimaced, "We may have to go to the grocery store."  
  
Buffy just smiled, not caring that she'd have to spend more time with Faith; as if *that* was a chore. "We'll go after lunch and you can take it home with you. That all right with you?"  
  
Faith shrugged, "You'll only be cutting into my busy schedule of doing nothing…"  
  
*  
  
They were standing in the confectionery aisle, playfully arguing about what flavour of chocolate to buy until Faith threw both in with a smile, "I'm sure Dawnie won't mind…"  
  
Buffy grinned, "She's going to be real pissed that you said her name and she wasn't here to see it…"  
  
Faith pushed the trolley further down the aisle, "She loves it really." She said, picking up some chips and looking at them. But really she was musing about the lunch they'd had together. They'd spent a whole hour chatting about nothing in particular; the state of the house and whether they were going to get Mr Karifakis to repair the leak in Buffy's bedroom; when Anya and Xander were going to set their wedding and if Anya would insist of inviting her demon "family" and debating the merits of allowing Dawn to watch Friends repeats all weekend.  
  
All in all it had been the best non-date that Faith had ever had. Now standing in the supermarket, pushing around a trolley full of unhealthy foods that she knew were bad for her, she desperately wanted to kiss Buffy.  
  
Buffy walked up to Faith, slinging her arm casually over Faith's shoulders, whispering quietly in her ear, "How about we get some pizza tonight?" The words tickled on the hairs of her neck. Buffy couldn't possibly know what she was doing to her…  
  
*What on Earth am I thinking?* Buffy thought, as she whispered sexily into Faith's ear. *She'd probably run a mile if she knew what I wanted to do to her…* Yet Buffy couldn't stop. It was like her inhibitions had been let loose, and she just wanted to be true to herself. And if being true to herself meant wanting to make out with Faith, then so be it, she thought with a grin.  
  
Faith just about managed to regain her composure before replying in her usual confident voice, "Why not? Maybe we could invite the others over…" She suggested. Slowly the Scoobies had begun to accept Faith especially with the development of her relationship with Buffy, they'd all learnt to like her. And Anya and Faith had hit off particularly well bonding in their initial uncomfortable-ness with the gang.  
  
"Sure…pizza, video and the Scoobies…" Buffy decided, her arm falling down Faith's back lingering on the small of her waist for a second longer than she should have done, "Sounds pretty good to me."  
  
*  
  
"Y'know I really don't get this…" Anya said after slipping a kernel of popcorn into her mouth and the entire room groaned. "What?"  
  
Dawn who was sitting on the floor, leaning against the couch that Anya was sitting on laughed, "You always get confused by movies…can't you just watch one without asking everyone about it?"  
  
Anya frowned indignantly, "Xander, I don't do that do I?" She said, leaning her head against her fiancée's whose lap she was currently sitting on, both covered by a rug.  
  
"I think I should remain objective…" He said, kissing Anya on the cheek and concentrated on the film.  
  
Instead Anya turned to Faith who was sitting on the opposite couch, next to Buffy with a rug covering them too, "Faith, you don't think I get confused do you?" She asked and Faith shook head.  
  
"I'm with the Xan-Man on this one." She said still looking at the television, "Best to remain impartial. I'm sure Giles wouldn't mind answering your questions though…" She said referring to the ex-Librarian who was searching their kitchen for something that wasn't either alcoholic or soda. Faith sneaked a glance at Buffy who was sitting closest to the TV set and she could see her smirk. As the playful argument continued between the others, Faith leaned over to Buffy, "You havin' a good time?"  
  
Buffy shivered inadvertently, "Yeah…" She said recovering slightly from the impact of her breath running down her back "I like having everyone here." She looked over to Kennedy and Willow who were sitting on bean bags and she just caught the suspicious glance that Willow gave her, probably in relation to Faith but she ignored it for the time being. She wasn't sure of her own feelings let alone able to explain them to someone else.  
  
Buffy wondered what her mom would have thought about these feelings she was having for Faith Probably would have disliked the fact that it was Faith, but supported her anyway. Then she would've tried to set her up with some "nice young girl" she met at the supermarket checkout. Would've been bad luck for her though.  
  
The only girl she wanted was sitting right next to her.  
  
As the movie carried on, interspersed with comments from Anya, giggles from Dawn and the occasional disgruntled sigh of Giles at having to watch a teen movie at his age, Faith and Buffy moved closer and closer together on the couch until Buffy's head was practically leaning on Faith's shoulder.  
  
Neither would be sure of how it happened, but somehow, their hands got tangled up together on Faith's thigh and stayed that way until the end of the film, regretfully moving apart. Neither of them said anything, but Buffy was pretty sure she could feel Faith's intense gaze on her body and she'd found herself staring at Faith, as they did the washing up, even more than usual. And if their hands happened to touch as they passed the soapy plates over, well, these things happen.  
  
*  
  
Their guests had gone home, Anya yawning impatiently at the door as Xander said goodbye and Giles cited an early start at the bookshop to leave an hour after the film had finished, just as the girls started discussing who was cuter; Orlando Bloom or Elijah Wood? Kennedy and Willow remained silent during most of the conversation, sometimes adding their opinions on their acting ability. And Faith merely added, "I could think of better," with a sly look in Buffy's direction that Buffy caught and almost blushed at.  
  
Kennedy and Willow left a few hours later, driving home in their new car that they'd bought with Kennedy's wages and a loan…she might be a Slayer but who wanted to walk everywhere? Dawn, Faith and Buffy stood in their kitchen, talking inanely before they went to bed. Faith checked the locks on the doors and pulled the curtains as Dawn trudged upstairs.  
  
Buffy stood uncomfortably at the sink, filling and then re-filling her glass of water, carefully watching Faith's movements. She was about to say something when she heard Dawn shout from upstairs, "Buffy! Faith! You better come up here!"  
  
They both looked at each other with quizzical glances and raced upstairs wondering what the hell was up there. Dawn stood at the entrance to Buffy's bedroom on the top floor, "What?" Buffy asked and Dawn pointed silently to the sodden bedclothes and wet floor.  
  
"Oh…" Faith said, biting her lip. "Maybe we should have got onto Mr Karifakis earlier about that leak…"  
  
"Ya think?" Dawn said sarcastically watching the water drops slide off Buffy's sidetable and onto the floor. "What should we do?" She asked her sister.  
  
"Um…some buckets? We can call Mr Karifakis as soon as we wake up. I don't think he'd appreciate a call at this time though…" She looked at her watch reading "12:45". She really didn't fancy sleeping on the couch tonight.  
  
Dawn went downstairs, fetching some buckets as Buffy inspected her room. Most of her stuff had been spared the trauma, but there were a few stuffed toys that she was going to have to get washed. "Where you gonna sleep tonight B?" Faith asked as she tried to match the drips with buckets.  
  
Buffy looked hopefully towards Dawn who was surveying the damage. "Oh no…" She said instantly and held up her hands when Buffy was about to protest. "You steal all the covers and you snore like crazy!"  
  
"Hey, I do not snore…" Buffy started. "And I don't want to sleep on the couch." She'd fallen asleep on it once before and it hurt like hell in the morning, her back twisted into all sorts of unnatural positions.  
  
"Why don't you share with Faith? She's got an enormous bed…" Dawn suggested and Faith's head flicked up.  
  
Buffy wasn't sure whether she could resist the temptation for a whole night in Faith's company. Especially in those cute pyjamas she wore. "I'm not sure if Faith wants me to…"  
  
"It's OK…" Faith answered, wondering if she replied too quickly. "You can stay in my room if you want…"  
  
*  
  
Buffy sat on the edge of the bed as Faith pulled back the covers and smiled uncomfortably towards her friend. This was going to be absolute torture… "Left or right?"  
  
"Not bothered." Buffy replied, hoping she didn't sound too offhand. Faith slipped inside the covers, and Buffy joined her lying right on the edge of the bed. Faith looked down at her lap sadly thinking that Buffy obviously wasn't interested in her like she'd hoped.  
  
They both laid down in bed, turning off the lights with only the moonlight for illumination. Buffy heard Faith's rhythmic breathing feeling comfortable and relaxed on hearing it. Faith could feel Buffy's warmth, her energy floating through the bed. She subconsciously edged closer and closer like she did earlier that evening whilst watching the film. She was suddenly aware of Buffy mimicking her actions and they were both minutely moving closer to each other. Neither Faith nor Buffy knew what it meant, but analysing the situation wasn't on their minds at that moment.  
  
Before they both knew it, their heads were touching. Faith rolled her head over to the right to be confronted with not her friends cheek, but her face too. Impulsively Buffy leaned forward, pressing her lips against Faith's slowly and gently. This was too important to get wrong.  
  
Faith couldn't believe what Buffy was doing. Could it really be true? Did Buffy want her? Did she see an animal, a murdering beast who deserved nothing but hate? Or did she see someone who was desperate for affection and who'd fell in love for the first time in her life?  
  
She wanted to know the answer, but she wasn't going to stop the havoc that Buffy was wreaking on her body.  
  
It would wait until morning.  
  
*  
  
Comments welcome! Next chapter should be up soon! 


	2. I Think I've Got A Problem

Chapter Two - I Think I've Got A Problem  
  
*  
  
"Ooh, this could be messy   
  
But you don't seem to mind…"  
  
Alanis Morissette, Hands Clean  
  
*  
  
Faith awoke to feeling her hair being gently combed through by someone's fingers, massaging her head softly. Her body was so satisfied and she'd had the best night's sleep of her life, no doubt due to Buffy's presence. It was so different to anything else she had experienced; she would sleep with random men, not remembering or even caring about their names. The closest she'd ever come to spending a pleasurable night with someone was Wood, but she knew in her heart that she was using him as a replacement for something else. And now she had what she wanted. And nothing could feel better.  
  
Faith turned in her bed to face Buffy who was looking as happy as she felt. "Morning…" She said slowly. She'd assumed by the action of stroking her hair, Buffy wasn't ashamed at what they had done, but she wasn't sure how to approach the situation having never spent a night like that before.  
  
"Morning." Buffy replied with a grin the size that Faith had never seen before.  
  
Faith cleared her throat as Buffy moved closer, resting her head on her shoulder. "You and me…" She began and Buffy's head snapped back with a worried face. "No, I don't mean-" Faith said not wanting Buffy to think that she wanted to call the whole thing off. "Last night was the best time of my life." She said honestly and Buffy's face light up, almost like a child. She leant forward, within inches of Faith's face,  
  
"Me too." She whispered kissing Faith gently, her simple actions more than words could ever say. As much as she was loathed to pull away, Faith felt that she should. She wanted an answer to a question, but she wasn't sure whether Buffy could give it. "What?"  
  
"Buffy…" She looked at her lover, she thought giddily, "I don't want this to be a one night thing." She paused wondering if Buffy understood, "Do you get me?"  
  
Buffy leaned back, falling into the pillow. She didn't know what to say. It would be a dramatic change for her. For both of them. They'd only become friends again in the past seven months, and now they were committing themselves to a relationship? But, Buffy thought rationally, wasn't that was she was hoping when she kissed Faith last night? She wanted it to be a relationship, not a quick fumble under the covers to be forgotten about.   
  
Buffy sat up in bed, bringing Faith up with her. She reached for Faith's hands in a move to reassure her. "I get you." She said simply, "And I don't want this…" She gripped Faith's hand tighter, "To be anything less than a relationship. It's too important to me. *You're* too important to me to do anything else."  
  
Faith laughed, the happiness in her heart couldn't be disguised. She pushed her hair back behind her shoulders and leaned forward into Buffy's embrace. Yes, this was going to be a very good day.  
  
*  
  
Breakfast had been an amusement. Dawn sat reading the local newspaper, chattering away about some "heinous" fashion mistake her teacher wore the day before, not noticing that Faith and Buffy hadn't broken their eye to eye gaze for fifteen minutes. If Faith wasn't so goddamn pleased, she would've worried that she was going soft. They were both leaning on the table, mirroring each others positions, their morning coffee untouched. Faith was too excited to do anything but gaze into Buffy's eyes.  
  
Buffy had called in sick to work, and they were going to spend the day together in town. They weren't sure what they were going to do; maybe some shopping, catch a film or eat some food, but what was important to them was that they were together.  
  
Faith stood at the edge of the shop, waiting for Buffy to emerge from the changing rooms where she was trying on a variety of new clothes that "she needed for work" although Faith wasn't wholly convinced but who was she to tell?   
  
The curtain opened and Faith walked over, making a whistling sound to which Buffy bowed and blushed at the same time. She was wearing a tight pair jeans and a scarlet coloured sweater. "You like?" She asked with a grin, the simple ability to go shopping with her *girlfriend*, she thought with glee, making her happy inside.  
  
"I like," Faith replied, nearing the cubicle and kissed her lightly on the nose. Buffy pretended to be less than happy with her actions, but it wasn't working and she practically giggled. It was a long time since she remembered being so happy that she giggled for no reason at all.  
  
After another ten minutes of Buffy deliberating over which shoes to buy, they left the shop weighed down with a few extra bags and they walked along the mall past various shops. They passed by the coffee shop where Kennedy worked part time; they would have gone inside to see her in any other circumstances but they didn't want their time together to be cut short, having to revert back to being friends and roommates. They walked past, arm in arm unaware that Willow was sitting in the window and frowned at their behaviour and that they didn't stop by.  
  
Nodding to Kennedy to alert her that she'd be back in a minute, she exited the small coffee shop and just saw Faith drag a laughing Buffy down a concealed alleyway. Moving to a better vantage point due to her insatiable curiosity, she almost fainted when she saw Faith pressed against the wall and Buffy with her hands on either side of Faith's face and making out with her like crazy.  
  
Willow moved instantly, just in case they spotted her. Walking back to the coffee shop, she knew that she'd seen something between the pair increasing in depth since they started living together but Willow never thought they'd act on it. Par t of her was angry at Buffy for getting involved with such a destructive character but she could never remember when Buffy looked so happy as when Faith was in her company. And she looked pretty darn happy as they exited the alleyway a few seconds later; she recognised that expression that Buffy wore…it was the familiar "I've fallen in love" face.  
  
*  
  
Three weeks passed since Buffy and Faith spent the night together, finally revealing their true feelings for each other. And she'd spent the night in Faith's bed every day since. Her ceiling couldn't be fixed for another few weeks, something that she was rather grateful for giving her an extra reason to sleep in Faith's room. Their relationship progressed in leaps and bounds, already knowing that they had something important together that they were going to treasure.  
  
They'd avoided telling their friends, especially Dawn for fear of their reactions. Buffy had wanted to tell the world about what she'd found with Faith, a new lease of life and love, but Faith had calmed her down, worrying that she could lose all her friends. She wanted Buffy to be sure of what she was committing herself to, caring more about Buffy than she had for anyone and she'd rather sacrificed her need to be with Buffy than she lose all her friends and her sister.  
  
"Whatcha thinking about?" Buffy asked rousing Faith out of her daydream. They were laying in bed together in the early hours of Saturday morning, one of the few occasions when Buffy didn't have to work and when Dawn was watching cartoons and wouldn't bother them.  
  
"Anya and Xander's wedding." She replied. The pair had finally set a date for the coming Thursday. The short notice was due to the fact that they wanted to hold the ceremony in a building that was due to be demolished in two weeks and it was either then or nothing. So they'd gone with then and Anya was running around like a headless chicken trying to sort out the arrangements.  
  
"What about it?" Buffy looked up from her resting place on Faith's stomach.  
  
Faith took a deep breath, "I want to go as your guest."  
  
Buffy smiled with intrigue, lifting her head off her girlfriend's stomach and sitting up in bed. "Really?"  
  
Faith nodded slowly, "I know I said that we shouldn't tell anyone…but it's killing me. I just want them to know and I think sooner the better." She smiled at the end, knowing it opposed everything she'd been saying for the last three weeks.  
  
"Changed your mind pretty quick." Buffy commented, turning round in bed and leaning her head on Faith's.  
  
"Yeah, well I don't want any of Xander's builder friends hitting on you." Faith grimaced just thinking about it. "I want everyone to know you're mine."  
  
Buffy wiggled down, taking her face level with Faith's, "You got that right…." She smiled impishly and kissed Faith passionately, bringing the covers over their writhing, giggling bodies.  
  
*  
  
Six friends sat at the bar, each sipping their own drinks with multi-coloured straws poking out and suspicious looking umbrellas with fruit on the end. The building in which they sat was beautiful and Buffy understood why Xander and Anya didn't want to wait and lose this place. The happy couple swirled around the dance floor, with admiring glances from their friends. Instead of the enormous wedding before, they chose guests selectively with most of Xander and Anya's relatives being "accidentally forgotten in the rush".   
  
The married couple's first song ended, and Xander looked like the cat that had got the cream, keeping his arm firmly around Anya's waist not wanting to let her go, proud of himself for having the guts to marry the woman he loved and proud of *her* for letting him have another chance.  
  
Giles offered a hand to Dawn to dance, which she accepted, putting down her soda on the bar and walking into the middle of the dancefloor along with others who were braving the embarrassment of public dancing. Willow and Kennedy paired off a few seconds later, giving Buffy and Faith an apologetic look but Faith was sure she saw something in Willow's eyes that revealed she knew more than she was letting on.  
  
"Finally…" Buffy breathed after the last two had left the bar to dance and Faith smiled leaning closer to her girlfriend, her lips meeting Buffy's ear dangerously.  
  
"Dance with me?" She said, her voice travelling all the way down Buffy's spine, tingling her all the way. She was about to answer when she saw a man standing in front of the pair; she recognised him, probably from when she visited Xander occasionally at work. He wore an expectant smile and held out a hand towards Buffy. Faith sat back in her chair with an almost inaudible sigh.  
  
"Buffy right?" The man asked, "The name's Martin. Do a guy a favour and come up and there and dance?" He said putting on a lost puppy dog face. Buffy swallowed looking at Faith who was sipping her drink with a less than favourable glare at Martin. *If looks could kill…* She thought. "Faith, is that OK?" Buffy asked hoping that she would have some kind of excuse. Instead she just shrugged, momentarily pulling her glass way from her lips.  
  
"Do whatever you want, B." She said non-commitally. Buffy turned to Martin and smiled uneasily.  
  
"Sure, why not?" She said, promptly being dragged towards the dance floor. She could feel the heat in Faith's eyes as Martin placed his arm intimately round Buffy's waist.  
  
After a minute of dancing, Buffy had decided Martin was an alright kinda guy. He certainly didn't deserve the venom that Faith was visually sending their way, but he wasn't anywhere near Buffy's tastes; her tastes had recently changed to a gorgeous, brown haired, brown eyed Slayer with a kick-ass attitude. And frankly, Martin wasn't in the same sport let alone the same league.  
  
As the next song started, significantly slower than the previous one, Martin decided to pull Buffy closer to him, their bodies practically bonded together. Faith, it seemed, was not a happy bunny. With a last look over towards her *girlfriend*, she thought with a sad mental sigh, she knew she should leave.  
  
Her happiness had lasted long enough; she didn't deserve someone as amazing as Buffy and she never would. She'd seen the other available opportunities and decided that maybe Faith was nice enough, but wasn't what she wanted.   
  
*I can deal with that, right?* Faith thought and then groaned almost instantly; of course she couldn't. Maybe she needed to move out, shack up with Red and Kennedy for a few days before she found her own place. Sure, she'd miss Peanut and she'd think about Buffy 24/7 but she couldn't live there…not now.  
  
Sipping the last of her drink, she got up from her stall, nodded to the bartender and walked to the edge of the dancefloor. Buffy, noticing Faith's unease, broke away from Martin and walked over to her fellow Slayer. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked, reaching to touch Faith's arm but Faith pulled away.  
  
"I think I should leave." She said simply. She couldn't stay and watch…  
  
"What? Why?" Buffy said, bemused.  
  
"You and builder man over there…" She gestured towards Martin who was looking impatient. "…I should leave you to it…" She turned away but Buffy pulled on her arm turning her back round, their actions gradually gaining attention from the other wedding guests.  
  
"I'm not interested in him…" Buffy said quietly, frowning at the eyes that were staring her way.   
  
"B, don't lie to yourself, OK?" Faith said, looking down at the ground in a moment of vulnerability and then looking up again with more confidence, "You don't have to pretend that what we had is what you want anymore." Faith sighed, "It was fun for a few weeks, I know. Obviously I thought this was going further than you."  
  
Buffy's mouth gaped open, "I just danced with the guy!" She practically shouted, the movements of the guests ceasing to look at the pair, now only the slow music and muttered whispers about what was going on between the two women filled the hall, "Can't you see that you're being totally irrational?"  
  
Faith swallowed deeply, "B, I'm gonna go to a motel or something…find another place ASAP." Buffy rubbed her head in frustration.  
  
"Faith, don't do this….you're taking this way out of proportion…" Buffy replied, trying to convince her lover to stay.   
  
Faith gripped Buffy's hand momentarily, her heart breaking silently, still with the attentions of everyone on them, "I'll see you around B."  
  
She turned, walking towards the door. Buffy could see her hand raise to her face, an action which she presumed was Faith wiping her eyes. *Maybe she still felt something…* Buffy thought hopefully. "Where are you going to go?" She shouted out and Faith carried on walking.  
  
"Why do you care?" She shouted almost venomously without looking back. For once in her life, she'd let herself love someone. And this was what happened. She was never making the same mistake again, that was for sure.  
  
"Because I love you!" Buffy shouted out, gaining the quiet yet audible gasps of the guests. Her words stopped Faith in her tracks, and she slowly turned around.  
  
"Well I love you too!" She shouted in the same desperate tone as Buffy. Both of them walked slowly to each other, meeting in the mass of tables and chairs that adorned the full room. Buffy didn't care whether Willow thought she was doing the right thing, or whether Giles thought she was foolish…all she knew was that Faith loved her. That's all she needed.  
  
Buffy reached for Faith's hands, gripping them tightly in her own. "I love you…" She whispered again and Faith instinctively leant her forehead against Buffy's on the sound of the revelation, their breath merging together.  
  
"I love you B." Faith mirrored Buffy's words softly. And oh, how she meant them…. Their lips met gently, still unaware or just not caring about the eyes that were watching them. Pulling apart reluctantly, partly from the need to breathe and partly through wanting to tell each other what they felt, their emotions flooding their bodies. Leaning her forehead against Buffy's again, she whispered quietly, "I think I've got a problem…"  
  
"What's that?" Buffy whispered, panting slightly.  
  
"I'm madly, insanely, crazily in love with this ex-Slayer I know."  
  
Buffy smiled, "Then I think we've both got a problem."  
  
*  
  
*All the dreams I held in my heart   
  
Had suddenly come true…  
  
Cause baby when I'm walking with you now   
  
My eyes are so wide   
  
Like you reached right into my head   
  
And turned on the light inside*  
  
David Gray, Be Mine  
  
*  
  
Comments welcome! I hope you liked! 


	3. The Morning After The Wedding The Night ...

Chapter Three - The Morning After The Wedding The Night Before  
  
Dawn sat at the breakfast table, her eyes scanning the long foreign words in front of her but not absorbing them like she should have been. Her mind was on other things, despite knowing that she had to finish the assignment for school or Madame Jacques would go on one on another one of her infamous French rants.  
  
Upstairs, she knew that Faith and Buffy were most likely laying in bed together, doing things that she shouldn't even have known about. It wasn't like she was upset, more surprised and annoyed that Buffy hadn't trusted her enough to tell her something life-changing like this. And it certainly seemed life-changing after the desperate proclamations of love that they'd uttered the night before at Xander and Anya's wedding. To Dawn's eyes, it seemed that Faith was going to up and leave, disappointed in Buffy for something, and then Buffy had announced that she was in love with the once evil Slayer; yeah, it was pretty big.  
  
The taxi ride home had been…awkward. For the rest of the wedding, Faith and Buffy had disappeared, either talking or doing something more active….Dawn didn't really want to know. The rest of the Scoobies had avoided talking about it, uncomfortably talking about anything that didn't relate to what happened; the weather, the state of the economy, anything…  
  
She waited for the pair to show their faces, whenever that might be. She'd need a ride to school with the incessant rain that was pouring down, making a soothing rhythm on the windows. It wasn't like she was grossed out or anything. Quite the opposite; she'd always considered herself pretty open minded and Willow's relationship with Tara and then Kennedy had made sure she kept that way. Maybe she just wished she could have seen what was going on between them….she was Buffy's sister after all.  
  
Faith stood at the window, watching the rain pour down on the miserable day outside. She should have felt happy after everything that had happened last night. But she couldn't help thinking that Buffy was sacrificing too much for this relationship. Buffy had everything to lose, Faith had nothing apart from her.  
  
She heard a creaking from the bed, and felt Buffy's presence behind, her warm hands rubbing her arm gently. Faith took Buffy's hand's placing them around her waist and they watched the street. "I feel like I shouldn't be here…" Faith mused. Everything seemed so normal, so perfect in that clichéd yet adorable way that Buffy did so well. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you." She felt Buffy stiffen at those words. But Faith was being honest, and maybe one day Buffy would see what she could see…  
  
Buffy sighed, Faith had a streak of doubt about their relationship and probably always would; she thought that one day Buffy would find someone else and leave her. Buffy didn't know how to convince Faith that she wanted her around for a long time to come. Forever. "You've done things in the past…" Buffy said quietly, "But you've changed. I can see that, everyone can. You're a different person now Faith."  
  
"I just feel like everything's going to come crashing down…" She said with a soft voice, watching a drop of rain slide its way down the window. Turning round to face Buffy, she looked deeply into those green eyes that she come to adore, "I can't live without you B. I just don't know why the hell you're with me….I don't know what you see when you look at me…"  
  
Buffy pushed a strand of hair behind her lover's ear, Faith's face leaning into her hand, "I see everything." Faith smiled coyly, surprised but thrilled by the answer. "I see my life, my future. My everything." She said honestly; Faith wanted to know why she was with her, and so Buffy gave her answer.  
  
Faith brought Buffy closer to her body, hugging her with an intensity that tried to convey her love; an intense passion that she couldn't articulate.  
  
So instead of stumbling awkwardly over words that couldn't show Buffy what she meant, Faith let her actions do the talking.  
  
Dawn heard an impatient knock on the door. She got up from her stool where she was reading her French textbook and trying to study, and walked towards the door opening it to see Anya Harris on her doorstep. Dawn leaned forward to give her friend a quick hug.  
  
"Hey…" She said as she pulled away, "Thought you and the Xan-Man would be doing all sorts of gross stuff today…" Dawn said with a smile, leaning against the door to let Anya in.  
  
"So did I." Anya replied, walking into the house and venturing towards the kitchen, Dawn following close behind, "But he got called into stupid work because of some stupid problems with the stupid plans for some stupid house…" She started ranting and Dawn put her hand on Anya's arm to control her.  
  
"Woah…I get that it's stupid, OK?" She said, pouring Anya a glass of water. "What are you doing here though?" Anya frowned, "Not that I'm not glad you're here of course…" She added quickly.  
  
"Xander was slightly preoccupied by the fact that Buffy and Faith were totally making out last night at our wedding…and all that fuss they caused after our first dance…." Anya mused and Dawn remained silent; sometimes it was just best to let Anya talk and talk….she'd probably do it even if no-one was around to listen, but Dawn needed a distraction.  
  
"Do I feel my ears burning?" Buffy said, standing at the door and Dawn nodded a mediocre greeting. Buffy walked over to Anya who was sitting on the stool and gave her a brief hug, "What you doing here the morning after your big day?"  
  
Anya was about to speak until Dawn interrupted, saving her sister Anya's rant "Something about plans!" Buffy quirked an eyebrow and Anya just nodded. "She came over here because she had nothing else to do…"  
  
"Ditto." Buffy said, looking through the cupboards for some cereal. "The Principal said I could have the day off which I really-"  
  
"So you and Faith are doing it, huh?" Anya interrupted.  
  
Buffy smirked to herself and turned to face her sister and her friend, "Always count on Anya to totally bypass subtlety and go in for the kill." Anya shrugged with a small smile.  
  
"You love her then?" Anya asked.  
  
Buffy looked down at the ground; she was just about able to admit it to herself, and she wasn't sure if she could have a repeat performance of last night…"Yeah." She said impulsively, totally disregarding her earlier thought. "I do."  
  
She saw Anya nod her head as though it was the most normal thing in the world and Buffy was pleased to see a small but definite smile on Dawn's face. Maybe her friends wouldn't be having the adverse reaction she'd expected, "I hope you didn't think we were stealing your thunder…"  
  
Anya shook her head as she took an apple from the basket on the table, "Steal away. You took the attention away from Xander's spazz dancing. Definitely something I didn't want to see myself let alone anyone else…"  
  
Faith heard laughs from the kitchen as she walked down the stairs of their rented house, pulling on a vest top. By the sounds of it, Anya was doing an impression of Xander's dancing that was hilarious from the volume of Dawn and Buffy's laughs. Faith bit her lip, wondering whether she should go in, most likely spoiling the moment when she heard Dawn's timid but almost hopeful voice;  
  
"So that means Faith's your girlfriend?"  
  
Buffy smiled brightly, pouring two glasses of orange juice, just recovering from Anya's impersonation. "Yeah…." Unbeknownst to them, Faith stood outside grinning from ear to ear at Buffy's answer. Inside the kitchen Dawn and Anya nodded in synchrony with dopey smiles on their faces. "What?"  
  
"You are so the smitten kitten." Dawn said, making Faith more and more interested in the conversation progressing as she stood out in the hall.  
  
"She's right…" Anya said making a break for the orange juice that Buffy held, and her hand then being slapped away with a mutter of "That's Faith's…" from Buffy. "You have that "I've just had sex with the person that I love" glow…" Anya said getting up from the table and pouring her own glass of juice. "Huh, you did just have sex with her didn't you?"  
  
"An…" Dawn protested, "That's my sister…euch." She shivered and wrinkled her nose. "The stuff I know already will give me years of therapy and I don't need any more."  
  
Buffy just smiled and then turned to Anya, trying to act unfazed and not worried about her answer, "So uh, Xander say anything to you about what happened yesterday?" Faith neared the door to listen easier, wanting to know whether the Scoobies were gonna try to kick her ass into next Wednesday. Not that they'd succeed of course.  
  
Anya shrugged, "He didn't say much to me about it. Sorta fumed yesterday but I couldn't tell whether that was over you and Faith or whether it was 'cause his uncle was coming onto me." She took a sip of her drink, "Although he did get a call from Willow before he went to work."  
  
Buffy straightened, eager to hear, unaware that her girlfriend, standing outside the door, was too. "And?"  
  
"And he took the phone into the next room." She told Buffy, "But I don't think it was "Yeah, don't you think Faith and Buffy being in love is great?" if that's what you're wondering…." Anya added matter-of-factly, not noticing Buffy's face falling.  
  
Faith chose that moment to walk into the kitchen, the room now equipped with a tense atmosphere that Faith wanted to dissipate but the main reason she entered was because she knew that Buffy must have been hurting with her friends reactions to their relationship...and she wanted to help her through it. If she could.   
  
"Squirt. Anya." She greeted the other occupants. She moved subconsciously closer to Buffy who was standing at the fridge with a forlorn expression. "B? You OK?" She asked, wanting to reach out and touch her. Faith could tell that's what Buffy yearned to do, but held back her intentions.  
  
Buffy nodded wordlessly, handing Faith her juice. She was just about out of the room when Faith turned round, stopping her. She placed her hands firmly on the side of Buffy's face, tilting her head upwards so she could look into those beautiful eyes. "It'll be OK." She whispered, knowing there was no need with Buff's sister and one of her closest friends in the room, but reverting to a gentle sound nonetheless. "I promise."  
  
Buffy gained strength from Faith's words, nodding in her grip. Faith relinquished her hold, watching Buffy practically drag her body up the stairs, constantly looking at the ground.   
  
Dawn looked over to Faith; she saw the desperate need to comfort Buffy in her eyes, the tender way she talked to her as though one word from her made everything alright in "Buffy land"…maybe it did.   
  
Maybe Faith was what Buffy was looking for the whole time, not realising that she was looking at the wrong gender; someone who understood, someone who she could laugh and cry with…someone who loved her unconditionally and was devoted to her. And from the look on the face of her sister, it worked both ways.  
  
Anya sighed, breaking the tense silence, "Have you got any cookies?"  
  
Faith left Anya and Dawn discussing some movie they'd seen a few weeks ago and walked up the stairs. She stopped immediately on hearing faint, yet definite crying coming from her own bedroom…or theirs.  
  
Pushing the door open lightly, willing to leave if that's what Buffy wanted, Faith knocked, "Fancy some company?" She said gently, not pushing to be able to join her.  
  
Buffy sat on the edge of the bed and tried to wipe her tears before turning round to face the door, "I wouldn't mind…" She said tearfully, her eyes red and her cheeks blotchy.  
  
Faith walked over, sliding onto the bed next to Buffy, instinctively reaching for her lover's hand. She stopped midway though, her hand almost hovering in mid-air as though not sure what to do. Buffy made the decisive move, grabbing it and placing them on her own thigh. Slowly she leant her head onto Faith's shoulder, sniffing. "It might not be as bad as you think…" She tried to console Buffy.  
  
Buffy snorted, "It's hard not to take what Anya said as a bad thing…" Faith's arm moved round her lover's waist. "I knew something was up last night at the wedding…Willow didn't even talk to me. And she practically dragged Kennedy away from me."  
  
Faith smiled, "It's just gonna take time for them to get used to it. But they will. They love you too much to hate you for being with me."  
  
Buffy raised her head, turning to look at Faith, their faces only millimetres apart, "That's the thing. I don't think I can be the same around them if they hate you…" She sighed, the breath hitting Faith's mouth, sending tendrils of warmth down her body, "I don't think I could be their friend."  
  
Faith maintained her position, not wanting to leave Buffy's embrace, but nevertheless shocked by her lover's words, "Buffy, I know how much you love them. They're you're family…"  
  
Buffy leant a few millimetres forward, touching her own forehead to Faith's, "Yeah, but now you're it too."  
  
Faith smiled before Buffy pressed her lips against hers, affirming the depth of their relationship and wiping away some of her worries. Regretfully though, she pulled away though still grinning from the embrace. "How about we invite them over? Giles, Red, Xander, Kennedy…All of them for dinner or something. Maybe then they can see I'm a changed gal....I could always wear an apron..."  
  
Buffy quirked an eyebrow, "Now there's something I'd pay to see."   
  
Comments welcome! 


	4. Ya Gotta Have Faith

Chapter Four - Ya Gotta Have Faith  
  
A/N: It's official; Fuffy is taking over my life! I have important exams to revise for yet I can't wait to write more of this fic…Prequel has been published; it's called "Cannonball" if anyone's interested. Most likely it'll be a one shot.

"Mm, something smells nice." Dawn wandered into the kitchen, looking slightly more smart than she usually did. Buffy had told her that tonight's dinner was important, not only to her but to Faith. Usually Dawn would have just snorted and sat at the table for the rest of the night wearing a moody glare, but she wanted to make Faith feel welcome so she obliged.  
  
Faith turned round on the stool where she was sitting, "Thankfully I didn't make it."  
  
Dawn recoiled slightly, moving to where Buffy was standing at the oven, looking over her shoulder. "Ugh, so that means she did?" She turned to Faith, "Cause I didn't think anyone could cook worse than her."  
  
"Watch it." Buffy warned her sister, "Or this lasagne will be going on your head."  
  
Dawn smiled cheekily, lifting her body to sit on the sideboard, next to the sink. "You're all dolled up Faith…" She teased, "Feeling nervous?"  
  
Faith glared good-naturedly, "Course not." She straightened the white button shirt she was wearing; Buffy had offered some of her own dresses, but they were way too…girly…for her. "Just wondering if any of them will actually turn up…" She mused.  
  
Buffy spun round, laying her hand on Faith's face, "They will." She reassured her lover, "I promise. And if they don't, I'll kick their butts." Buffy nodded defiantly.  
  
Dawn smiled, taking a slice of garlic bread from the plate next to her, promptly having her hand swatted away by Buffy, "Hey…" She protested, "I'm a growing child, I need sustenance."  
  
"Have an apple." Buffy suggested, turning back to the food. Dawn frowned at her sister's words and wondering if she could sneak a takeout upstairs. She swivelled to look outside at the night sky that was slowly darkening as the minutes passed.   
  
She then saw five dark figures walk up the path to the house, Anya bounding ahead, seemingly the only one who was going to enjoy the night. "They're here…" She announced happily and then trailed off as she noticed Faith's expression which was less than happy.  
  
As Buffy took off the oven gloves and walked towards the hallway to open the door, Dawn moved towards Faith, rubbing her arm gently. "You'll do fine…" She reassured her, "And if you don't, I will totally help Buffy kick their asses." Dawn smiled cheekily.  
  
"Thanks Peanut…" Faith said, ruffling Dawn's hair with a sly smile, moving out of the kitchen and towards the door.  
  
"Hey! Don't call me that!" 

The table was laid out neatly, a single red rose in the middle of the table, standing in a clear glass vase. Eight people sat round the table, eating and drinking in relative silence, which was so not the evening Buffy had imagined. Hers went something like; her friends accepting Faith and not being so antagonistic towards her, and ending up with one of the video parties she enjoyed so much. But with the tense glares Willow was sending Faith's way, it didn't look like that was going to happen any time soon.  
  
"Uh, more potatoes Giles?" Buffy held the bowl up and he shook his head. She didn't know what she saw in his eyes; she could read him like a book usually, but she knew it wasn't good. Disappointment maybe?  
  
Xander tapped his fork against his plate and kept trying to say something, but got stuck on the first word. To him, not much was appropriate in the situation that you find out your best friend is in love with a once-evil Slayer. Who's a girl. It wasn't like he hated Faith, but more hated the idea of she and Buffy being together; it could only end badly.  
  
"How's school Dawnie?" Kennedy asked after a few minutes of tense silence. Momentarily, Kennedy looked at Willow; it was usually her question towards Dawn, but all she could see her girlfriend was doing was giving Faith the "evil eye" when she dared touch Buffy.  
  
"Uh, it's good." She smiled, grateful for the distraction and the attempt to make conversation. "Or as good as school can be. They're pretty focused on sport, so Faith's teaching me how to kickbox."  
  
"That sounds really-" Kennedy began until Willow muttered under her breath.  
  
"Make sure you don't happen to kill someone…"  
  
The whole table turned to Willow, who stared intently at her food. "What did you say?" Buffy breathed, her words barely loud enough to hear. Faith gripped Buffy's hand underneath the table, a sign to not make the situation any worse, but Buffy couldn't let it go.  
  
Willow's head snapped up, "Oh, come on Buffy!" She said incredulously, "That's what everyone is thinking about her…"  
  
"I'm not." Anya said simply, taking a quick look at Faith who seemed to appreciate the support.  
  
"You would say that." Willow murmured again. "You didn't seem to have a problem with killing after all."  
  
"Hey!" Xander protested, "You're not exactly Little Miss Perfect either are you, Rosenberg? Remember that time I like to call, "When Willow went evil and tried to destroy the world into tiny bitesize pieces"?"  
  
Giles frowned, "Xander, I really don't think that's the attitude to take-"  
  
"Humans-" Anya muttered, pushing away her plate, only just noticing Faith's disappearance from the table. "Buffy…" She said, gaining the attention from the Slayer who was currently next to Willow's chair arguing with her. "Faith's gone…" She gestured towards the empty seat.  
  
Buffy sighed as she noticed Faith's glaring absence; how could everything go so bad in a few seconds? Turning to her friends who were still arguing with Kennedy threatening to sort her argument with Xander "outside", she decided to stop the pandemonium, she shouted "Shut up!" at the top of her voice, and everyone's heads snapped towards her.  
  
"How can you sit here like this?" Buffy lamented. "None of us are blameless…we've all done things that we'd rather forget. And I don't think its fair to Faith that we constantly remind her of what's happened in the past."  
  
"Buffy, you're not being objective-" Giles started.  
  
"Screw being objective!" Buffy replied, "Don't you understand? I love her, OK? Your stupid fighting isn't going to change that. Whatever you say, or whatever you decide to bring up from the past, isn't going to make me change my mind." Buffy sat down in her seat, "Everyone's made pretty crappy choices over the last seven years, and I haven't complained. So maybe this isn't the sanest thing to do, but when was falling in love ever the sane thing?" She looked at Xander and Anya pointedly.   
  
Xander looked down at the plate, feeling incredibly judgmental. He hated the attitude Buffy and Willow used to hold against Anya and her ex-vengeance demon ways, and here he was doing the same thing towards Faith. Willow didn't seem so able to forget though, still practically steaming on the other side of the table. Xander could see Kennedy keeping a tight grip on Willow's hand, as if letting go would cause the normally tame Witch to go awry..   
  
"Now there's two ways we can do this; either you accept that I'm with Faith, or you don't, and in that case we'll just have to part company. Now which will it be?" 

  
  
Music pumped through Bass, guitars strumming and the loud rhythm of the drums rung in their ears. But they came here to forget. Forget life and what it threw at them.   
  
Faith knew the feeling. She felt the scowl of Willow on her back, boring into her very soul, almost trying to burn her out…Faith wished she could tell her to quit it and that she got the fact she wasn't welcome. She'd have to be pretty brain dead not to.   
  
Occasionally as they walked down the dark avenues, the streets getting busier and busier as they neared Bass, Faith could hear the mutterings of Willow, complaining to Kennedy about the situation with Buffy and Kennedy trying to calm her girlfriend. Faith appreciated the gesture, but was pretty certain that nothing would calm Red down apart from her disappearing.  
  
Faith wasn't exactly sure why she suggested going to Bass, one of the only clubs in the quiet suburb which the Scoobies and Buffy had settled in. Maybe it was because the suffocating atmosphere was getting to her. Buffy had come upstairs, comforting her with warm words and soft kisses, but she just couldn't forget the venom in Willow's words; they'd become friends over the past six months, but now it was like she'd travelled back in time to years ago when she wasn't the Scoobies favourite person.  
  
"How ya doin'?" Buffy sidled up next to her, slipping her hand into Faith's. Immediately, her concern decreased and she momentarily forgot about the glowering Willow behind her.  
  
Faith paused, "Oh, as good as I can be when an extremely powerful Witch is wishing I was far, far away from here." She said quietly. Buffy squeezed her hand in reassurance.   
  
They turned a corner of the street, the club coming into full view. "Bass" was displayed above the door, illuminated in neon lighting. "It's not exactly the iest place in LA but it's the cheapest." Faith muttered.  
  
Buffy smiled, leading the others onward. Giles had decided to retire home to his apartment a few miles away. He gave Buffy a chaste kiss at the door, and muttered a few words which made her frown. Faith didn't want to ask what he'd said to her, but it must have been something pretty big.  
  
The seven Scoobies walked into the bulging bar, people crowding the dance floor and spilling out of what seemed to be an addition to the main area. "I can't believe you never brought me here before…"Dawn said, hitting Faith playfully on the arm. "Why didn't you bring me here before?"  
  
"Uh, probably 'cause you're underage.." Faith replied and Dawn frowned, "And B would royally kick my ass."  
  
Buffy smiled at the interaction, getting the drink orders from her friends, and pushing through the throngs of people to get to the bar. The others made their way to the quieter end of the club, where a few couches were left empty. They all slouched onto the seats, no-one really thinking about partying, except for Dawn, and all musing about the events of the dinner.  
  
Faith had interrupted before anyone could reply to Buffy's ultimatum. In truth she was scared that Willow would abandon Buffy, and without Red's friendship Buffy would realise she'd made a terrible mistake.  
  
Faith glanced towards the object of her thoughts who was waiting to gain the bartender's attention as the others talked quietly about nothing in particular; she imagined that this was the tense atmosphere left after Xander and Anya's wedding. Buffy turned almost instantly towards Faith no doubt through Slayer sense, and smiled, gesturing that she should wait with her.   
  
She nodded, getting up and pretending to be annoyed by the request but failing totally with a huge smile. Before she could leave though, she felt a strong hand on her forearm and turned to see Red behind her with a glare. "If you hurt Buffy one bit, I will hunt you down." Willow said, lowering her voice significantly. "And you do not want to know what I'll do to you. But I'll promise you this, it won't be pretty."  
  
Faith's eyes flicked up instantly to Buffy who was increasingly concerned, but Faith shook her head trying to dispel her girlfriend's worries, then turning to face Willow. "I would never hurt her. But it seems you're doing a pretty good job of it yourself." Willow blanched, but Faith continued regardlessly, "All she wants is a little acceptance. And if it grieves you that badly to be civil towards me now, then fine. Don't be, but don't expect Buffy's friendship anymore."  
  
"You tryin' to get her away from us? Are you making her do this?" Willow countered.  
  
"Hey, this is not my idea." Faith replied, "Didn't you hear Buffy's little ultimatum; did it come from my lips? And if you decide to take your head outta your ass for a few seconds, you might realise that Buffy doesn't want this. So why don't you be civil to me, if not for her sake, but for yours." Faith paused, "Cause she will cut you off. And however much we've had our disagreements in the past, I know how much you care about B and I know you don't want to lose that."  
  
Willow looked down at the ground, avoiding the eyes of Dawn et al. She wasn't sure what to say or what to do with the passionate words that Faith spoke. And if she looked down into herself, Willow could see the love in Faith's eyes…even what she said and how she said it spoke volumes about the adoration she felt for Buffy.  
  
Faith spoke quietly this time, hoping she'd broken through Red's wall of hate, "But this is your choice Red. Your choice."  
  
Willow nodded mutely and Faith sighed internally. Was this a signal that Willow accepted, maybe not liked, but accepted their relationship? Hopefully, she thought as Buffy made her way over to where the Slayerettes were sitting.  
  
"You guys OK?" She asked tentatively, catching Faith's eye and asking wordless questions. She just nodded in response, and walked towards Buffy. Silently, the pair walked towards the bar leaving Willow to sit down dazedly on the couch next to Kennedy. "What was all that about? Will wasn't giving you a hard time was she?"  
  
Faith shook her head as they reached the bar, immediately gaining the barman's attention. "Nah. In fact, I think Willow may have less problems with us tomorrow."  
  
Buffy smiled, "You're a miracle worker, you know that?"  
  
"It has been said."   
  
Comments welcome! Longer reviews can be directed to me at my email address...Hint, hint... 


	5. The Story of My Life

Chapter Five - Story of My Life  
  
A/N: Sorry for the crappiness and the short length of this chapter. I'm in the middle of revising for exams, and I'm planning a story of a Potential in-between furiously swotting up on politics…  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
People poured out of the cinema as the doors opened several shielding their eyes from the bright Californian sun beating down on them on a warm and dusty Saturday afternoon. Buffy scanned the immediate area, wondering if Xander and Anya's chosen film had finished yet or whether they should go and shop like Dawn was pestering them to do.  
  
"Well, I thought it was good." Her little sister announced as they started down the sidewalk.   
  
Faith visibly grinned, "Mm, and I wonder why that is huh?" She countered, "Could it be cause of your insatiable Orlando obsession?"  
  
Dawn glared good-naturedly; pouting in a manner that was similar to Buffy. The three walked down the road, and Faith slipped her hand inside Buffy's subtly. "What did you think Buff?"  
  
She turned to her sister, "Me? I think you're both blinded by your movie star obsessions-"  
  
"Hey, I do not have an obsession…" Faith protested in earnest.  
  
Dawn giggled, "Uh, I think ya do. Remember an actress called Angelina?"  
  
Faith bowed her head, conceding defeat, "OK, you may have a point." She steered the three of them to inside the mall, the air conditioning at the door ruining Dawn's hair. Tepid music filled the shops and Faith shook her head. As was visible by her clothes, she wasn't a mall shopping kinda gal. But Buffy and Dawn were. So, she let them guide her round the teenybopper shops in the faint hope that they could change her "less than modest clothes" as Giles politely put it.  
  
She thought about Xander and Anya back at the cinema, probably making out like crazy on the back row. When Buffy had suggested the little "friendly outing to the cinema where Xander can kill me so dead" as Faith nicknamed it, she wasn't exactly thrilled with the concept. Until Xander had rung and they talked out their differences and Faith successfully persuaded him that she would do nothing to hurt the "Buffster".   
  
"How about this?" Dawn came over to me as we stood in one of her favourite shops. She held up a mumsy blouse in front of me and I snorted in derision.  
  
"I don't think so." I pushed it away gently, hanging it up on the closest rail; "I don't do those clothes."  
  
"Hey! I have that shirt…" Buffy protested and I smiled, wrapping my arm clumsily around her neck and kissing the side of her forehead, helping her to forget what she was concerned about. Walking along the store as Dawn pointed out clothes that she wanted for her birthday in a non-subtle way, Faith felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning around she came face to face with someone she thought she'd left behind a long time ago.  
  
"Faith. What a surprise to see you here." The girl smiled, pushing her pink tinged hair behind her shoulder.   
  
"Lucy." Faith said shallowly, her voice gruff and low remembering Buffy's presence next to her. "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Lucy smiled with an air of superiority, "Ah, little birdie told me, you know the drill." She paused, taking a step closer to Faith and Buffy, noticing the arm that Faith held round Buffy's waist, "Aren't you gonna introduce me?" She gestured towards Buffy and the approaching Dawn who wore a concerned expression.  
  
"Buffy, this is Lucy, an old friend. Lucy, this is Buffy, my girlfriend." Faith paused as Dawn sidled next to her, "And Dawn, her little sister."  
  
Lucie made a faux-surprised face, "Faithy, Faithy, Faithy. You're a dyke? Who woulda known?"  
  
"Watch it." Intoned Dawn, taking a step towards Lucie with a stern expression.  
  
"Got a little girl looking out for you now, Faith? Your standards have really lowered." Lucy smiled, glaring at Dawn.  
  
"I am not a little girl." Dawn said forcefully, disregarding Faith's hand on her lower arm, trying to dissuade her from starting something with this Lucy girl.  
  
Lucy stepped forward so she and Dawn were only inches apart and tapped Dawn's head patronisingly, "Whatever you say girlie."  
  
"I think you should leave." Buffy stepped closer, and finally Lucy looked slightly worried, "It's obvious Faith doesn't want you around."  
  
Lucy looked towards Faith, who briefly glanced at the ground and then up at her old friend, "Faith, you better watch out. You get me? 'Cause you can't have told your little friends about the things you used to get up to until you disappeared…'cause if ya did…" Her Boston voice grew darker and menacing, "You wouldn't see them for dust."  
  
Lucy turned round, her biker boots squeaking on the newly cleaned floor of the shop, her pink toned hair waving behind her, attracting attention as she strutted through the mall. "See ya around Faithy!" She shouted back with what sounded like spiteful laughter without turning round and she just carried on walking, "I'll be sure to find ya!"  
  
Lucy disappeared round the corner, and Faith started to breathe again. She had barely said a word in their encounter, but she'd known Lucy long enough to not have to communicate with words. It was the malicious edge in her voice that worried Faith…she knew Lucy inside and out, as much as she was loathed to admit it, and there were things, terrible things that would alienate the Scoobies even further away.  
  
So terrible they could mean her losing Buffy forever. And losing Buffy would be worse than losing her life. And she didn't know what she would do without her.  
  
"What the hell was that about?" Buffy said, standing in front of Faith, just managing to get her attention, "Was she on about?"  
  
Faith swallowed, "Nothing. Lucy's got a screw loose." Buffy frowned, but seemed placated by Faith's words; she knew the kind of friends she had back in Boston. They'd talked about during their bouts of insomnia as they lay in bed together, hands entwined…but words couldn't articulate what some of Faith's old "buddies" were like.   
  
"I'd say she's got more than one loose." Dawn said, joining at Buffy's side, looking behind them to where Lucy disappeared round the corner, as if checking that she was definitely gone. Pausing, Dawn spoke again, "So are we gonna go get a takeout or something, 'cause I am so starved!"  
  
Dawn's voice faded out of Faith's mind as they continued on their shopping spree, waiting for Xander and Anya to emerge from the multiplex. She could hear Buffy admonishing Dawn for something she'd done that morning, most likely not taking out the trash, but it moved to the periphery of her mind. All that she could think about was that Lucy was around. Out there, ready to pounce. Like a panther waiting for its prey.   
  
There were things. Things that she had done. Buffy couldn't know. She just couldn't. She couldn't lose this life. She couldn't lose the girl that she loved.  
  
And Lucy was going to try to do just that.  
  
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"The past won't go away,   
  
It's the story of my life."  
  
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Scuse the rubbishness of this chapter! Comments are welcome, don't be too harsh though! 


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